Improvement in rotary-knitting machines



T. LANGHAM.

ROTARY KNITTING-MACHINE.

Patented May 30,196.

gig/Z N PETE-RS, PNOTO-UTHOGRAFHER. WASHINGTON. D O.

TINI'I'EI) TATEs PATENT OFFICE.

trHoMAs LANGHAM, on PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

IMPROVEMENT IN ROTARY-KNlTTlNG NlACHlNES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 178,167, dated May 30,1876 application filed February 19, 1876.

i To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, THOMAS LANGHAM, ofPhiladelphia, Pennsylvania,'have invented an Improved Rotary-KnittingMachine, of which the following is a specification:

The object of my invention is to produce a tubular fabric with verticalstripes, and this object I attain in the manner which I will now proceedto describe, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, in which-Figures 1 and 2 illustrate strips of my improved fabric; Fig. 3, avertical sectional view of a machine on which it may be produced; Fig.4, a sectional plan on the line 1 2; and Figs. 5,6, and 7, perspectiveviews, showing the manner of forming the stitch for the stripe. I

A represents the exterior cylinder, and B the interior cylinder, of anordinary circularknitting machine, the latter liaving grooves for thereception and guidance of a series of latch-needles, a, on which areprojections 1), adapted to cam-grooves in the outer cylinder. As theseparts are constructed and operated in the usual manner they will notrequire further description.

A central spindle, D, is carried by, and rotates with, the innercylinder B, and on this spindle is a disk or other attachment, E. forcarrying any desired number oflevers, (1, forming thread-guides. On thisdisk E or on another disk turning in unison therewith are a number ofspools, one for each thread-guide.

In the present instance I have shown but one lever, d, and one spool, m,and it is the thread fromthis spool which lintroduce into the fabric, soas to form a vertical stripe. It should be understood,however, that theloops of this thread, although incorporated in the fabric, are additionsto the latter, or, in other words, the fabric is .entire without theloops of the supplementary thread, which are added at those points onlywhere the stripe occurs, the body of the fabric being formed by themachine in the usual manner.

' Above the disk E is a stationary plate, F, secured to some fixedportion of the machine, and in the edge of thisplate in the present instance is a single recess, f, into which the upper end of the lever discaused to enter, when opposite, by a spring, 2'. The effect of thismovement is to throw the lower end of the lever, and the thread which itcarries, to the front of the needles a, and on its return to wrap thethread around the needle adjacent to which the lever moves.

Thus, as shown in Fig. 5, the guide is thrown to the front just beforethe needle a commences to rise, and as it rises its head bears against asunken portion, 8, of the guide, so as to allow the thread 00 to be laidclose against the needle. When in the position shown in Fig. 6 thebody-thread a" is laid across the face of the needle, as usual, and whenthe latter descends both threads at and a are caught by the ascendingloop 3 and thus secured to the fabric.

In producing a fabric with a single uninterrupted stripe one lever, d,only need be used, the plate F being so recessed that the lower end ofthe lever is thrown to the front on each works.

When it is not desired to have the stripe appear upon the face of thefabric the lower end of the lever is not moved to the front of needles,and thethread is simply laid in a straight line on the back of thefabric.

.By increasing the number of levers d and plates F any desired number ofstripes may be made, and by using for the stripes threads of colorsdifferenufrom those of the body of the fabric, very attractive effectsmay be produced.

The stripes may be so arranged also as to produce 'difierent figures.Thus, in Fig. 2 diamond-shaped figures are formed by means of a seriesof stripes of different lengths arranged side by side.

I claim as my invention- In a circular-knitting machine, thecombination, with the usual needles for producing a tubular fabric, of athread guide or guides adapted to rotate with the needle-cylinder, andmechanism for imparting to the said guide or guides a vibrating motion,whereby the loop or loops of another thread or threads are carried bysaid guide or guides at intervals into the hooks of the said needles,substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

THOMAS LANGHAM.

